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(midi-$61.)

0. M. KILER. FENCE.

No. 512,885. Patented Jan. 16, 1894.

VWWF kg fik wia UNITED STATES PATENT ()EFIC'E.

CHARLES M. KILER, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR OF ONES-HALF TOSTEPHEN E. URMSTON, OF SAME PLACE. I

FENCE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 512,885, dated January16, 1894.

Application filed September 5, 1893. Serial No. 484,820. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern;-

Be it known that I, CHARLES M. KILER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Indianapolis, in the vcounty of Marion and State of Indiana,have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Fences, of which thefollowing is a specification.

The object of my said invention is to provide a means whereby fencerails can be firmly and at the same time economically secured to theirposts.

Said invention will be firstfully described and the novel featuresthereof then pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, which are made a part hereof,and on which similar letters of reference indicate similar parts, Figure1 is a side elevation of fra zontal sectional view looking downwardlyfrom the dotted line 4 4. in Fig.2; Fig. 5 a top or plan View of thetightening and fastening device separately on an enlarged scale; Fig. 6a detail view of the same, as seen from the dotted line 6 6 in Fig. 5,and Fig. 7 an edge and face view of one of the keys whereby the spoolsare locked in position.

In said drawings the portions marked A represent the fence post; B therails; O the wires whereby the rails are secured to the post; D ringsholding the wire toward the post at points intermediate the rails and Espools attached to the ends of the wire, by which the same ismanipulated. The post A is shown as an ordinary tubular iron post,although it may be of any desired character; and the rails 13 are commonfence rails. The wire 0 is first inserted through a hole drilled throughthe post A below the lower rails, and its central portion rests in saidhole. It then passes up on both sides, engaging with the rails B, andthence passes under or through the rings D, and its ends are attached toand governed by the spools E, as will be presently described.

iening therefor, longitudinally as well as vertically.

The rings may be of any appropriate form sions at the sides throughwhich the wire 0 Bymaking these of malleable iron, or some such strongmaterial which is not passes.

capable of being easily broken, they may be made very light and cheap.

The spools E are mounted in supports E therefor, which in turn aremounted upon the tops of the posts A, and the shafts of said spools areheld into bearings in said supports preferably by wire clips 6. Saidspools are flanged, as shown, to hold the wire properly, and they areperforated through the cen- 7o ter to receive the ends of the wire. Oneend of each of said spool shafts preferably has a square portion 12 bywhich the spool can be conveniently turned by means of a wrench.

The edges of the flanges of the spools are serrated, and keys isprovided with similar serrations are adapted to pass down behind saidspools and engage with said serrated edges, as shown most plainly inFig. 6. Said keys are preferably bifurcated, (see Fig. 7,) and the twolimbs are adapted to engage with the two flanges of the spool.

In building a fence according to my invention, I prefer to take thepiece of wire (or wire cable) which is to be used, and first insert itthrough the hole in the bottom of the fence post, bringing the ends upand attaching them to the spools E, and winding the slack wire up onsaid spools until it is substantially taut.

A sufficient number of rings D are of course 0 placed over the wireunder the spool support at the same time. The lower rails are theninserted between the wire and the post, one of the rings D forced downto the proper position, and the spools turned until the wire 5 cuts intothe substance of the wood of the rails. The wire is then slacked offenough to permit the insertion of the next set of rails, when anotherring D is slid down to position and the operation is continued, and soon, un- [00 til all the rails are thus tightly secured in place. Afterthe rails are all placed, the spools are turned up tightly and the keyskinserted behind them,'locking them to position, the

spools and spool supporting frame remaining a part of the fencestructure. Whenever, from the ravages of time or otherwise, the fencerails become loose, a slight tightening of the wires, by means of thespools already in place, corrects the difliculty, and in case a railbecomes broken, it is only necessary to slacken the wires up somewhat,pull out the old rail, insert a new one in its place, and retighten thewire by means of the spools. Old rails can thus be used up in fencebuilding, and, as they decay, the fence can be renewed or kept in repairby other rails at very slight mist, the posts being substantiallyindestructib e.

Having thus fully described my said invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination of post A, a wire 0 inserted through said posts andrunning up alongside thereof upon both sides, rings D surrounding saidposts and said wire, and fence rails B inserted between the post and thewire upon both sides of the post in the intervals between the rings.

2. The combination, in a fence, of the post A, the wire extendingthrough it, fence rails secured between said post and said wire withintermediate rings or devices for holding the wire toward the post, andtightening spools mounted upon the top of the postwhereby the wire isbrought into forcible contact with said rails, substantially as setforth.

3. The combination, in a fence, of the post, the wire extending througha hole therein and passing up alongside the rails as described, a spoolsupport mounted upon the top of the post, spools therein attached to theends of the wire, and keys, whereby said spools, when the wires aretightened thereby, may be held in adjusted position, substantially asset forth.

4. The combination, in a fence, of the post, the rails, a wire passingthrough the posts and around the rails against the outer surfacethereof, and rings D interposed between the sets of rails, said ringsbeing provided with wings or extensions to permit the passage of thewire, and through which said wire passes, substantially as shown anddescribed.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal, atIndianapolis, Indiana, this 30th day of August, A. D. 1893.

CHARLES M. KILER. [L. s.]

Witnesses:

CHESTER BRADFORD, J AMES A. WALSH.

